


Final Fantasy XV-2

by Mars_McKie



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Dealing With Loss, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Female Protagonist, Female-Centric, Fights, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Iris as the Main Playable Character, Original Character(s), Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2019-07-27 19:09:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16225469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mars_McKie/pseuds/Mars_McKie
Summary: Set after the events of Final Fantasy XV.The sun returned to the world, though with three members of the original party nowhere to be found Iris has to questionat what price?Eos slowly returns to normal now that the Starscourge has been purged and Iris, Cindy and Aranea must come to terms with the world they now find themselves in, but it seems that there might still be hope for their missing comrades after all.(I saw a Youtube video about how Hajime Tabata would consider a female FFXV if there was enough interest for it, so I went ahead and wrote my interpretation of that!)





	1. World of Rebirth

**Author's Note:**

> Writing a summary without giving any spoilers for FFXV is hard! Needless to say as this is a sequel, spoilers ahead for FFXV and probably for all DLC Episodes currently released!
> 
> I've put 'Graphic Depictions of Violence' as there will be parts with the characters going on hunts and fighting. 
> 
> For Chapter 1 I've put the 'Tutorial', Prologue and Chapter 1 all together so that the chapter list show up correctly on AO3! All other chapters might be slightly shorter than this first one.

**Tutorial**

“Have you ever wielded a sword before?”

Fifteen-year-old Iris Amicitia bit her lip at the question. “I tried moving Gladdy’s sword once when he left it on the dining table and I couldn’t even pick it up.”

Her tutor -Crowe Altius, a warrior and magic user of the Kingsglaive- smiled warmly. “That’s because Gladio favours ridiculously heavy two-handed great swords. You’ll find your standard long- and short-swords much lighter and better balanced.”

“I’ve done some boxing and kickboxing before, so I’m not a complete novice to fighting,” Iris said, eager to please.

“I will expect your footwork to be on par then!” Crowe said, and prompted Iris to select one of the training swords from the rack. They had managed to get some time in the old training room in the Citadel at the heart of Insomnia; after Iris had seen her older brother Gladiolus training Prince Noctis how to swordfight she was eager to try it herself. Gladio had smirked and asked if she would do anything if Noct did it too, earning him a dead arm. Lack of combat training and size aside, Iris could be tough as nails when she wanted to be, thus Gladio organised a day of intensive training for her with an elite member of the Kingsglaive- the group of warriors fighting to protect Insomnia from the forces of the Imperial Army.

Iris picked out a two-handed longsword most similar to that which she had seen Noct training with. Despite its slightly ornate look it still had a weight to it, and Iris took a moment to appreciate the detail on the decorated crossguard and the feel of it in her hand.

“OK,” Crowe said, pulling her hair back into a loose bun and picking up her own longsword. With her t-shirt, leather trousers, boots and love of motorbikes, Iris saw Crowe like a cool older sister figure. “We’ll start with your basic grip, footwork, and how to defend yourself. All looking well, we’ll get you on to parrying and attacking before lunch.”

The morning was filled with basics, but after lunch Crowe felt that Iris had got the hang of it to the point that she allowed her young student access to some of the magic loaned to the Kingsglaive by King Regis to practise warping. The sensation made Iris’s head spin, but it made her excited to think that she was doing what Noctis was doing.

Late in the afternoon, her older brother Gladiolus stuck his head around the door.

“How’s it hangin’?” He asked, grinning as Iris parried one of Crowe’s attacks.

“Not bad at all,” Crowe huffed. “We’ll make a Crownsguard out of her yet; possibly even Kingsglaive.”

“Nah, keep her away from the front line,” Gladio said, forever the protective big brother.

 _Or should that be ‘big bother’?_ Iris thought to herself. “You’ll only be happy when I’m locked in a tower sewing tapestries for the rest of my life.”

“But you sew so well!” Gladio teased. Iris hit him on the arm. “Ow! Does this mean you’re on par with the Prince yet?”

“Gladdy!” Iris whined, aware her face was turning red at the mention of her crush.

“If so, how’d you like to spar with the champ?” Gladio said, hooking a thumb up to himself and grinning cockily.

“The champ of what? Eating Cup Noodles?” Iris shot back, sticking her tongue out. Gladio positioned himself at the opposite end of the room and, in retaliation, summoned his heavy two-hander sword from the Armiger in a shower of blue sparks, swinging it over his shoulder with one hand. Iris balked at the sight of it and whispered to Crowe, “How am I supposed to go up against _that?_ ”

“Keep your nerve; remember that while it looks intimidating, what he gains in power he loses in agility,” Crowe whispered back. Power verses agility; an accurate summary of the relationship between the two siblings.

“Ready?” Gladio called. Iris gave a timid nod and gripped her sword. “Winner gets to tickle the loser; sound fair?”

“This is why I didn’t want to train with you!” Iris yelled, annoyed with his teasing. Crowe stepped back out of the way and Gladio ran at Iris with an almighty swing of his sword. She saw it coming a mile away and dodged fairly easily, as well as dodging the sneaky way he tried to shove her with his shoulder in the follow-up.

The chances of her being able to parry one of his attacks was slim, as she thought she would probably break her arm if she tried to block one of his hits. She dodged a few more times and got a few good attacks in which Gladio blocked, but she could feel herself tiring and knew that Gladio would easily outlast her on endurance, so she pulled out her secret weapon- she was still tapped into the King’s magic.

Dodging another oversized attack, Iris warped behind Gladio and -before he could react- whacked him in the side with her blunted practise sword. Stunned, Gladio landed with a heavy thump on his backside and Iris lowered the point of her sword to his chest.

“Where’d you learn that one? Warping’s not allowed!” Gladio complained, swatting her blade away.

“A little something to even the odds,” Iris smiled, though she was breathing heavily. The fight had taken almost all she had.

“We have a winner!” Crowe cheered from the side-line.

“Nah, I went easy on ya!” Gladio said, standing up and pulling his little sister into a proud hug.

“Don’t lie to her; you were going all out.” Iris froze at the voice of her crush, the Prince Noctis, who was standing by the door and had been watching her fight without her realising. “Anything less and you’d be doing her a disservice.”

“Ah! Noct!” Iris squeaked.

“You had some great skills there,” Noct said. Iris felt herself blushing under his praise.

“Indeed. The simple fact that instead of saying Gladio having a larger weapon wasn’t fair, you asked how you would go about fighting him is a great sign,” Crowe said. “That’s exactly the attitude you need to have.”

“That comes from living with this great big fat lump my whole life!” Iris elbowed Gladio in the side so she could escape from his hug. He ruffled her sweaty hair in response for the insult.

“If it’s warping that you’re interested in then we’ll have to spar sometime,” Noct offered with a small smile.

“Ah, uh, um...” Iris stammered, looking to Crowe for help.

“I think we’d better leave it there for today,” Crowe said, coming to her rescue. “Hit the showers, and when you’re ready for another class feel free to call me up.”

“Thanks Crowe,” Iris said, then bowed to her teacher and returned the sword to her. “But for now, I have a wager to collect...”

She turned to Gladio and grinned. It took him a second to realise what she meant. “What? No! _I was joking!_ ”

**Prologue – The Loneliest Dawn**

Ten and a half years later, a yellow tow truck raced through the desolated streets of Insomnia. Gas was a scarce resource in the world of ruin brought about by the Starscourge that plagued Eos, not that the driver or her passenger cared at this point.

Iris stood on the back of the truck in the rain, gunning down any daemons that dared cross their path, while her friend and local mechanic Cindy Aurum drove, much more recklessly than she would under normal circumstances as bricks bounced off of the bumper, but they would be damned if they missed this. They hadn’t received the call that Noct, Ignis, Gladio and Prompto had headed out to Insomnia until too late, and they realised immediately where they were heading and what they planned on doing.

In the distance there were explosions of light centred around the Citadel, its high windows lit up from the inside. Noct had promised he would come back safe so they could see each other again in person, but Iris feared she was too late.

A red dropship flew overhead, its gunfire assisting with clearing their way significantly. They made good ground, but then they saw something that they all longed for -and in that moment dreaded, as it meant that they were too late-

_The Dawn._

For the first time in ten years, sunlight broke through the dark clouds, the Long Night finally coming to an end. The daemons borne of the Starscourge were burned in the light of the sun while the majority of the wild monsters retreated back to the shadows from which they had came.

When their path became blocked by the rubble of buildings, Iris and Cindy left the truck and ran on foot towards the Citadel. Up ahead, they saw the ramp of the red dropship lower and Aranea Highwind -ex-Commodore of Niflheim’s Imperial Armies- leapt thirty feet to the ground and took off up the steps into the Citadel.

The rays of the sun dropped down the front steps to meet them and the doors at the top stood open. Inside, Iris called to Aranea and led the two non-natives through the once familiar corridors. They kept expecting to see something -anything- a daemon, a monster, one of their friends who had been fighting, but there was nothing to be seen.

The lift up was infuriatingly slow and each of them were too tense to say anything. They forced the doors open and charged into the throne room, only to be brought up short in shock at the sight that awaited them.

King Noctis sat on the throne, his head bowed, with the Sword of the Father through his chest.

Iris choked on a sob and Cindy grasped her arm, and together the three women walked up the stairs to where the King would sit and look down upon his court. Iris had only been in the throne room once before, when Noct had sneaked her in so they could play together as children. One side of the sweeping staircase had been covered with sediment where the window behind had been blasted in, most likely when Niflheim had first invaded Insomnia, and the sun streamed through the open window. The three women were shaking despite the heat.

Iris brushed a strand of raven hair from Noct’s face. He looked peaceful in death, and she imagined wildly that he could have just overslept like he was often want to. She felt Aranea’s hand on her back, trying to offer some comfort, and Iris buried her face in Cindy’s chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Cindy rubbed Iris’s back and she felt tears fall in her hair; she knew the mechanic had been close to Noct too.

Aranea was the first of them to come back to her senses. Noctis might be dead, but there were still three comrades left unaccounted for.

The Dragoon took off through the Citadel, yelling Ignis’s name, Cindy combed through all of the rooms while calling for Prompto, and Iris shouted for her brother Gladio who had never failed to come to her comfort before.

On establishing that the guys weren’t in the Citadel, they made their way back to the front gates where Aranea set her squadron to look all over the streets of Insomnia. Though they hunted for hours, fought many hiding monsters, and found Iris’s old mentor -Cor Leonis- in a weak and injured state, he had been out cold at the time that dawn had broken and did not see what had become of the three men. He could only confirm that he had seen them enter the Citadel with Noctis to face down Ardyn the Accursed.

They searched for many more hours until a natural night fell again, bringing some of the creatures out with it, until the next morning came and there was still no sight of their friends and family.

Iris, Cindy and Aranea would search for many more days. Noct’s body was moved from the throne for his funeral and laid to rest beneath the Citadel in a coffin next to his father, the late King Regis. It was basic, but while the population were still recovering from the Long Night it was the best they could manage. Many people came from the safe city of Lestallum to pay their respects and to start bringing life back to the city of Insomnia, but there was no funeral for Gladiolus Amicitia, Ignis Scientia or Prompto Argentum, as there were no bodies to be found. Condolences were offered and a simple memorial erected in their honour, but they were labelled along with many others  _missing-presumed-dead_.

Aranea left Insomnia straight after the funeral without a word to anyone. Cindy returned to Hammerhead to restore her workshop to its former glory and to care for her elderly grandfather Cid, while Iris took to the wilds of Lucis for many weeks and continued to hunt, ridding the land of any monsters that dared to linger in the shadows under her earned title of Daemon Slayer. She knew that it only acted as a distraction from her grief, but without any clues as to where her brother and friends had disappeared to she was lost and alone.

**Chapter 1 – World of Rebirth**

The long black thread of tarmac that linked the world stretched on through the sweltering hot deserts in the region of Leide. After a few weeks of peaceful days and nights there were a few more cars to be seen; mainly still supply trucks but as the rations on gas were slowly lifted the public would surely return to the roads, especially as the nights were now safer than ever before.

A single black motorbike covered with flower decals carved its way along the road, its single rider tired and longing for a proper bath after weeks of roughing it in the wild. Finally, the outpost of Hammerhead came into view and the bike pulled through the gas station and straight up to the front of the garage.

The purr of the engine ceased and Iris removed her helmet, blinking in the bright sunlight and sweating in her motorbike leathers.

“Well hi there, stranger.” Iris looked up to see Cindy walking out of the garage. The past ten years had been relatively kind to the mechanic; she was still the same blonde bombshell (though her wavy hair was slightly longer and pulled back into a loose knot which flowed out from under her red hat) with strong muscles from hauling machinery, currently hidden beneath a yellow and orange Hammerhead boiler suit. Old habits died hard as the zip was open just enough for a black sports bra to peek through. A heavy toolbelt, brown boots, black gloves and a pair of goggles around her neck completed the look.

“Cindy!” Iris called back. She strode over and was met in a bear-like hug, the two having grown to become like sisters.

“I’m glad you’re OK,” Cindy frowned. “You takin’ off into the wild like that, I didn’ know what to think.”

“I’m a big girl now; I’m able to look after myself,” Iris chided.

“I don’t doubt that,” Cindy said. “How’s the engine bin treatin’ you?”

“Purring like a happy coeurl,” Iris reported, with a wave to where her motorbike stood. “But since I’m here, how about a tune up?”

“It’s not as though I don’t have plenty of business now that people are takin’ to the roads again,” Cindy smirked at Iris’s cheekiness. “ _But since you’re here_ , I’m sure I can squeeze you in.”

“If I’m being honest, I only came back for a tune up and to use your bath,” Iris said sarcastically. “There’s only so much camping stuff I can lug around on the back of that girl, and washing takes low priority.”

“You’re as bad as-” Cindy cut herself off before she finished her sentence, and Iris guessed what she had been about to say- _You’re as bad as the guys_. Iris said nothing and Cindy quickly swung the subject back around. “Well we’ll get you both cleaned up in no time. You’ll have to excuse the mess inside; as I said, business is boomin’.”

“Has it been just you working on your own?” Iris asked.

“Not for the lack a tryin’,” Cindy huffed and dragged Iris towards the garage, towards where an elderly man sat in his deckchair as Iris had seen him doing so many times before.

“I was wonderin’ when you would remember us,” Cindy’s grandfather said in his gruff voice, glancing up at the pair as they approached. “Those of us not allowed to leave this place-”

“Aw, stop your whinin’, Paw-Paw!” Cindy chastised good-naturedly.

“How are you, Gramps? Not causing too much trouble, I hope?” Iris asked, bending down to his side.

“Trouble? I don’t know what your talkin’ about,” Cid said. He was dressed exactly as he had been ten years ago- the only change was his white hair, a few more wrinkles and the lack of his cap. “I won’t mention names, but people would have me see out the rest of my days in this here chair!”

“Aw, Paw-Paw! You’re bein’ dramatic!” Cindy huffed with her hands on her hips.

Cid shifted in his chair, inclining his head into the sunlight. “I will say this- I’ve missed havin’ the sun on my face. I thought I’d be in my grave before the day came when we’d see the sun again.”

Iris’s breath caught in her throat. This was exactly the type of conversation that she had been running away from for the past few weeks.

“Yeah,” Iris said, wishing an end to the conversation but Cid wasn’t finished.

“Still, it came with a heavy price,” Cid sighed. “The fate that was decided for one as young as Noctis weren’t right. And then the fact that you never found his friends, well, that ain’t right at all.”

Iris stood bolt upright before she could catch herself. “I should be getting on.” Iris turned and strode into the garage without another word. Cindy ran to catch up with her.

“I’m sorry, Iris,” Cindy murmured. “Paw-Paw was never one to mince his words, and he’s lost his internal censor in his old age which doesn’t help.”

“That’s fine,” Iris choked, but she could feel her shoulders shaking as suddenly the floodgates she had built up came crashing down and tears ran down her cheeks.

“Aw, sweetie-pie,” Cindy sighed and pulled Iris into a hug. “Come here, girl. You’ve bin so strong.”

“There were a few time out in the wild...” Iris gasped. “Times I would wake up in the middle of the night and the clouds covered the moon and stars. I would think that the dawn breaking had all been a dream, but that would be fine as it would mean Gladdy and the guys were still here...”

Iris gulped down air. Cindy said nothing and continued to rub circles onto Iris’s back as she continued her confession. “Those nights when I woke up, I stayed up until the sun rose just to confirm that it had been real, that those things had happened and Gladdy wasn’t there anymore... It’s... I’ve lost the last family I had. Gladdy wouldn’t want me to cry...”

“Shh,” Cindy hushed kindly. “You can cry as much as you need to. None of them guys would think any less of you, and you’ve come so far already. And remember-” Cindy held Iris at arm’s length to look her in the eyes. “There are people here who still love you; You're always welcome here.”

Iris brushed away the tears with the back of her hand and managed a weak smile. “Thanks, Cindy.”

“Anytime,” Cindy said kindly. “Have you heard from Talcott recently?”

“No,” Iris exclaimed, shocked at herself for how she had so easily forgotten about the grandson of the Amicitia family’s former chamberlain. She had become Talcott’s main caretaker after his grandfather Jared had been killed by imperial soldiers and he was like a younger brother to her after the time they had shared together at the house in Cape Caem. “How is he?”

“He passes through now and again,” Cindy said, trying to clear some of the mess and tools that littered the garage. “He gets plenty of requests to help out the Hunters and Glaives on quests as he knows Lucis like the back of his hand.”

“Good on him. I will get in touch, I swear...”

“He’s bin right worried about you. Honestly, turnin’ your phone off and runnin’ off into the wild like that, you’ve had us all worried,” Cindy chastised lightly in her big sisterly manner.

Iris fell quiet again and examined a piece of imperial machinery that was being stripped down on the workbench, avoiding the accusations like she had avoided everything else the past few weeks.

“Listen... Let’s get outta here for a while; I’ve an errand I’ve bin meanin’ to run,” Cindy said in her business-like tone of voice which had Iris looking up again. “You remember Prompto managed to wrangle up any loose chocobos he found while he was out in the wild, bring ‘em in and protect them, like?”

“Yeah?”

“He had them in a nice lit pen out west way for them, but without anyone to look after them I’m worried they might come a-cropper to some creature or rather lookin’ for an easy meal,” Cindy explained. “Wanna help me bring ‘em back here?”

“Looks like that bath will have to wait,” Iris grinned. “Let’s do it.”

“We’ll take the tow truck; you can leave your bike in the garage,” Cindy said, moving to decide between the pieces of machinery weapons she had been working on. “Gather anythin’ you need and meet me out front.”

Five minutes later -after a quick stop in the Mini-Mart to buy a few cans for a journey- Iris and Cindy were in the front cabin of her large yellow tow truck and back on the road. Their journey took ten minutes to reach the chocobo haven that Prompto had set up, during which time they managed to retune the radio to Memories FM.

On reaching the outpost they saw that the safe pens Prompto had set up were broken, the daemon repelling lights smashed on the ground, and the inhabitants long gone.

“Damnit! I should have come sooner,” Cindy sighed on seeing the carnage.

“We might be able to track them- look!” Iris called, pointing to a trail of chocobo feathers that led away from the outpost.

“You reckon they could still be alive?” Cindy gasped.

“Chocobos are hardier than most people give them credit for,” Iris explained. “They can run pretty fast and have great stamina, they can defend themselves a bit-”

“Even against larger predators?” Cindy worried at her lip.

“Depends,” Iris murmured, not wanting to commit to an answer; the way the metal bars were bent looked bad; only a larger creature could have done that.

“Are chocobos prone to sheddin’ when they’re stressed?” Cindy asked, quickly becoming concerned for the birds.

“Nah. You really don’t know much about anything that isn’t a machine, do you?”

“Oi!”

“Chocobos shed like crazy anyway,” Iris said. “Although, we should find them before they meet something nastier.”

Iris didn’t want to discount the thought that some creature or monster had gotten away with the chocobos, but without any solid proof she didn’t want to worry Cindy. A little shed with a generator had been set up a few feet away from the pens and Iris dug out a sack filled with gyshal greens- the favourite snack of the chocobo. They took a bag each, thinking they might come in use if they did find any of the birds.

Greens in hand, Iris and Cindy followed the trail of feathers. Along the way they crossed the path of some sabertusks which they quickly laid waste to. A large pack of the skeletal dog-like creatures might have tried to hunt the chocobos if they were to smell them out, but the sabertusks wouldn’t have been able to tear up the pens in the manner in which they found them. Iris tracked some other markings along with the trail of feathers- large paw prints on the dusty ground. Far larger than the average subertusk.

The trail brought them into a space between two cliffs, too large to climb, with a rocky heath in-between and overgrown with low bushes. The thick fog in the air suggested a river or stream nearby, but they couldn’t spot any more feathers.

They stood, debating whether it was worth looking down the path, when through the still air they heard a _Kweh!_

“That’s them!” Iris whispered excitedly.

“They’re alright?” Cindy whispered back, noticing her tone.

“Yeah, but keep your weapon out and ready; I have a feeling I know what’s after them.”

“What?”

Iris pointed to scratch marks up the side of the rocky walls that lined the dingy path, then as if to emphasise her point another noise rendered the air- a monstrous roar of a beast that Iris had encountered numerous times over the years. “Behemoth.”

Cindy inhaled sharply, took out her pistol and readied her machinery as Iris drew her sword. Iris still wasn’t sure what Cindy’s weapon was supposed to do -and as it had been modified from imperial devices, if it even worked- but she trusted Cindy’s expertise enough to know it shouldn’t blow up in their faces.

They encountered a few more creatures in the rocky maze- another pack of sabertusks and a cactuar, nothing which would be tasty enough to tempt a behemoth from the pack of birds. The path sloped downwards and the fog thickened ominously. More noises made their way up to them.

“Sounds like they’re putting up a fight,” Iris murmured. Before she could stop her, Cindy ran off down the path. “Cindy!”

Iris raced after Cindy, reaching her as they came to the bottom of the valley and the riverside. Looking to their right they saw their objective- a group of chocobos cornered where the cliff curved around, while the almighty behemoth loomed over them. At fifteen feet tall and thirty feet long its hound-like body was covered in matted fur and curved horns crowned its head. It was a miracle the docile birds had lasted for as long as they had. Iris could only put it down to them being in a group, dodging together as the behemoth swatted at them with its large paws.

In the few seconds that the two women stood assessing the situation, the behemoth took a swipe at the group. Most of them fled into the river but one of them was clipped by a claw and a red gash appeared on its wing. It hit the ground and the behemoth loomed over it.

Cindy shrieked in anger and, confused, the behemoth turned at the noise. Its black, beady eyes fixed on them and it snarled, giving them a display of its sharp teeth. Cindy let loose several shots from her pistol and the behemoth flinched as they hit before charging at the two women. Iris ran to meet it, dodged as it snapped at her and struck its front leg with her sword. Her attacks she had practised over ten years ago with Crowe were a far cry from those she dealt out now- strong, confident, with knowledge of how to throw her enemy’s weight back at it to deal a damaging parry.

Iris danced and dodged, looking for another opening when out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of red- a fuchsia chocobo bravely running forth from the group and clawing at the behemoth with its talons, keeping the beast confused.

“Flora?” Iris gasped. The fuchsia chocobo had been her trusty steed many years ago back when she would race against the guys. She didn’t realise that Prompto had managed to save her.

With the behemoth focused on its attackers, Iris spotted Cindy running over to the injured chocobo.

“Iris, move!” Cindy shouted. Turning, Iris saw Cindy with the machinery in hand and she quickly moved out of the way, thankful that Flora seemed to get the message and did the same. Cindy fired the weapon and it shot a ball of energy, just missing the behemoth but forming a black hole just behind its head.

The behemoth was sucked back by the scruff of its neck, causing it to rear up and roar in anguish and Iris took her opening; she jumped up and slit the beast’s throat with a slash of her sword. The mini black hole fizzled out of existence and the behemoth dropped to the floor with a ground shaking _boom!_

Iris breathed heavy before letting out a cheer. “A Gravisphere gun... nice!”

“Iris! Help, it’s hurt!” Cindy called. Iris dropped the bag of greens by the riverside and rushed over to them; with the behemoth dead, the injured chocobo sat docile with a mournful look on its face.

“Broken wing,” Iris said, assessing the damage. The yellow chocobo gave a feeble _‘Kweh!’_ in reply. “Nasty gash too; we need to get that to stop bleeding...”

Between them, they managed to make some rough bandages using moss and vines, held in place with behemoth horn shards. It was makeshift at best, but it would do until they got back to Hammerhead.

The rest of the group of chocobos had wandered over to peck at the gyshal greens on the ground, making it easy for Iris to round them up. Uncertain about the large group, Cindy took to leading with the injured chocobo by her side while Iris mounted Flora and guided the group from the rear, keeping an eye on everyone in front. Their path back to the outpost was mercifully clear, and as they loaded the injured chocobo onto the back of the pick-up truck the others sniffed around their old pen.

“You’re not leaving them here, are you?” Iris asked.

“Nah; Takka set up some nice pens out the back of the garage,” Cindy replied. “They’ll have plenty of room to roam without worryin’ about ‘em beasties.”

“That’s good to hear,” Iris said. Cindy stroke down the feathery neck of her injured charge with her gloved hand; for not knowing anything about chocobos, she seemed to be growing quickly enamoured with them.

“This seemed like the best way to honour his memory, like. Make sure that which he built doesn’t go ter ruin,” Cindy said quietly. Her words were heavy with meaning, and though she hadn’t mentioned him by name Iris knew who she was referring to.

“I know Prompto would be very grateful to you,” Iris said kindly. Cindy nodded, and Iris could see how sad her smile was. It seemed that while Iris was still not coming to terms with her brother’s disappearance, Cindy had found a way to move on and remember her friend. The thought made Iris feel lonely, dejected, as though she was failing for not finding some way to honour Gladio in the same way...

Iris’s train of thought was pulled back from that dark place as her phone buzzed. She was startled by the noise, believing that her phone had been turned off for weeks.

“Oh yeah, I charged it for you back at the garage!” Cindy grinned at Iris’s shock. They looked at the caller ID- it was Aranea.

Quickly swiping the screen to answer, Iris said, “Hi Ary!”

“Do you still know that Mechanic friend of yours?” Aranea replied, ignoring Iris’s nickname for her and doing away with the pleasantries.

“Cindy?” Iris said, surprised. “Yeah, she’s right here- I’ll put you on speakerphone-”

Iris hit the speaker icon as Cindy leaned in. “Well hi there Commodore!”

“You’ll never guess what I’m looking at right now,” Aranea said. The line crackled; Iris guessed it was a long distance call meaning Aranea was probably overseas.

“Hmm, give us a clue!” Cindy hummed, getting into the game.

“Grey, rusty, pretty beat up, last seen wearing a tacky chocobo bumper sticker...”

Cindy and Iris both gasped.

“Can you get her back to Hammerhead?” Cindy asked.

“Are you sure? She’s a bit of a fixer-upper.”

Cindy and Iris both smiled at each other. “Trust me; the old girl’s worth the effort!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is there a collective noun for a group of chocobos?
> 
> Also I wrote Cindy's dialogue how sounds in the English version. If that's too difficult to read then I can change it back to plain English and you can just imagine her accent?


	2. Repairing a Fallen Comrade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uploaded this WHEN?!
> 
> Wow, I am so sorry, I honestly did not mean to leave it this long before updating! I had half of this chapter written back in October, but then my schedule over Christmas and New Year happened and any plans for writing went out the window!
> 
> So yeah, so much has happened since then- Episode Luna, Aranea and Noctis getting cancelled (I'm not ugly crying, you're ugly crying) and the anime for Episode Ardyn being released.
> 
> I've also changed how Cindy and Cid speak in chapter 1- writing their speech how it sounded was becoming tiresome and it's easier to read back this way. I hope that's OK.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the next chapter, and thank you to everyone who has left kudos so far! I will do my best to not leave it 5 months before the next update!

The ride back from the outpost to Hammerhead passed uneventfully. Cindy drove up front, setting the pace for the chocobos, while Iris brought up the rear on Flora and made sure none of the birds strayed from the road. On reaching Hammerhead they directed the chocobos into a sizable pen around the back of the garage. The birds clawed at the ground and made happy “ _Kweh_!” sounds as Cindy hauled a sack of mixed greens into a trough.

“It’s no Wiz Chocobo Post but it’ll do for now. You’ll be smelling chocobo all the time!” Iris laughed and Cindy smiled back at her. With what felt like a cold stab to her chest, Iris realised that it was the first time she had laughed in weeks. The smile slipped from her face.

“Smile,” Cindy said, setting her hand on Iris’s shoulder. “It’s what they woulda wanted.”

Iris gulped back the tears and nodded vaguely. Job done, she moved past Cindy into the garage and into the living quarters at the back for her long awaited bath.

As the water soaked away the grime and dirt from the past few weeks, Iris pondered over Cindy’s words and allowed her mind to take a few steps down the path that she had been running away from-

With the force of will from allowing herself self-reflection, Iris slowly came to realise that much of her confusion was borne from not knowing exactly what had happened to her brother and friends, and without answers she would continue to be in denial over their deaths. However, she had to accept that she would probably never get those answers and could not dwell on it forever.

Gladiolus would have indeed wanted her to be happy. She certainly couldn’t afford to break down like she had after her father’s death. She knew Clarus Amicitia had fallen in his line of duty, as had her older brother, and she wanted to believe she had grown up enough to be able to handle their passing like an adult. Now it was her turn to do her duty by her family and friends.

_If only I knew how to do that._

Every member of House Amicitia before her had been Shield to the King or Queen of Lucis, but that line ended with the death of her childhood friend and the True King chosen by the gods, Noctis. She was the last in a line of Shields without anyone to be a Shield for, as the throne still stood empty and no one had come forward to claim it.

_I really should find out about that- the last thing Lucis needs right now is for some awful dictator to step in._

Iris took a deep breath and submerged herself in the water, only coming up for air a minute later. She had to keep moving, that much she knew, otherwise she faced breaking down again. She burned through so much of her anger whilst she was out in the wild, up until the point where she was almost mauled by a Coeurl. At any other time in her life she would have dispatched it without a problem, but she had accidentally allowed her skills to dull in recent weeks. Iris knew that Gladio would have been more disappointed in that than anything else. She was wielding her sword without any real conviction behind it and becoming weak in her complacency. Even when she fought the behemoth earlier Iris knew that she could have done better.

Thinking back, it did feel so good to complete their task of rescuing Prompto’s chocobos successfully that she had felt genuinely happy and momentarily forgotten her grief. It felt like a betrayal, even though Gladio would have wanted her to be strong and happy. She honestly had no idea how best to honour his memory in the way that Cindy was honouring Prompto’s.

 _Perhaps if I opened a cup noodle stand?_ Iris huffed a hollow laugh at the idea.

The water was turning cool, so Iris quickly washed her hair and dried off. She borrowed Cindy’s hairdryer (which Cindy had modified so that it blew with the force of a hurricane) and pulled a fresh set of clothes from her backpack.

Aside from growing up, Iris’s style hadn’t changed much in the past ten years and everything she owned she had patched up, fixed, or adapted at some point as a result of fabric and new clothes becoming a commodity that were carefully rationed. She pulled on a pair of leather trousers and a dark red vest, buckled up two belts around her waist with a short tartan cape (fashioned from her old skirt) hanging behind her. She slipped on her old black hoodie with red details and hood -which she had adapted to zip up at the front and added short sleeves to- before tugging on her black wrist supports, a few bracelets, and a black choker with a red pendant. Black thigh-high boots completed the look and hid her Moogle socks. Checking herself in the mirror, Iris raked some gel through her hair- slightly shorter than ten years ago so that it was easier to look after.

Her plan was now fully formed in her head. Without any leads as to the location of Gladio, Ignis and Prompto she had no way to continue looking for them. Her efforts were better directed to those still alive and struggling to reform their lives in this new world. She would be a Shield to the People of Lucis.

Cindy stuck her head around the door and -on seeing Iris was dressed- called, “Come along, Sweetie-Pie! Aranea’s landin’ outside!”

“Cindy,” Iris said. “You know that people call me _Daemon Slayer_ , right?”

“Yes, and I call you Sweetie-Pie,” Cindy countered sweetly.

Iris gritted her teeth and forced a smile. “Fine, but please don’t call me that in front of Aranea; I’d never hear the end of it.”

“Ha, sure thing.”

They made their way out of the garage to see an old red Imperial dropship landing on the earth outside the Hammerhead outpost. The dropship was one of only a few left in commission and all of them were under the command of Ex-Imperial Commodore Aranea Highwind. Iris and Cindy walked over together as the cargo door opened and Aranea walked out to meet them.

“Ary!” Iris called happily. Aranea looked much the same as ten years ago with only a few scars and several dents to show for her troubles. She wore a canvas jacket with leather trousers, knee-high boots and finger gloves, her silver hair pulled back into a ponytail.

“Hey Cupcake,” Aranea greeted in return. Iris gritted her teeth again as she felt rather than saw Cindy smirking beside her.

“Now you shouldn’t call her that; it’s Daemon Slayer, ain’t that right Sweetie-Pie?” Cindy grinned.

“You two...” Iris sighed, her head bowing in defeat. Cindy and Aranea had met several times over the years, forming a fast friendship borne from what seemed to be a mutual love of winding Iris up.

“We’re just messin’ with you!” Cindy laughed, slapping Iris on the shoulder by way of apology.

“We know you earned every bit of that Daemon Slayer title,” Aranea added, before stepping back to allow Iris and Cindy to walk up onto the dropship.

A few of Aranea’s soldiers were stood lining the sides of the ship, and in the middle stood what Iris and Cindy considered to be the most glorious car in the world- the Regalia. It had once transported Prince Noctis and his comrades as they set out from Insomnia on their mission- first to see Noct wed to Lady Lunafreya, then travelled all across Eos in order to rid their Star of the Starscourge.

Aranea hadn’t been lying when she said it was “a bit of a fixer upper.”

Left broken down in daemon-infested Gralea after Noctis, Ignis and Gladio were forced to make a run for it, the Regalia looked at though it had spent the last decade as a chew toy for the daemons- the windows were smashed so that glass littered the seats which were also torn apart, the bodywork was crumpled and every inch of the old black paintwork scratched and dusty so that it appeared grey (Iris could just make out the chocobo bumper sticker), and the rubber on the tyres had been mauled to shreds. Iris didn’t know anything about cars, but she would bet that the engine and inner workings couldn’t have fared much better.

“Oh you poor girl,” Cindy sighed, leaning down to hug the bonnet. “You’ve been so brave... don’t you worry- you’re home now and we’ll get you fixed up in no time!”

“You really think it’s possible to fix her up? She looks in a bad way,” Iris asked, running a reverent hand along the roof- from the teeth marks it looked like some creature had tried to rip the top open like a tin can.

“We’ll certainly give it a go,” said a voice from behind them and they all turned as Cid hobbled up the ramp.

“Paw Paw!” Cindy chided. “You should be restin’!”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Cid replied, his eyes only for the Regalia. “Get her out and on to the ramp in the garage and we’ll have a proper look at her.”

Aranea gestured to her men and they worked to operate a pulley system, lifting the Regalia from the dropship and receiving a fair amount of criticism from Cid as they did so (“Oi! Watch it! She’s got enough dents as it is!”) until the Regalia sat in the workshop. Iris and Aranea waited outside, like the family of a patient in hospital, while Cindy and Cid examined the wrecked car.

“So, while we’re waiting, let’s talk about how you disappeared for the past two weeks,” said Aranea, as always getting straight to the point.

“Must we?” Iris sighed. She was expecting this bollocking when she eventually saw Cor, not from Aranea.

“Just because daylight has returned that doesn’t make the wilderness any less dangerous,” Aranea lectured. “You do not go off without a word to anyone and then turn your phone off like that.”

“Yeah, because you didn’t leave straight after Noct’s funeral,” Iris countered.

“That’s different; I had my men with me,” Aranea snapped back.

Iris got the feeling that she had touched a raw nerve, but didn’t prod any further. Aranea took her chance while Iris was silent, crossing her arms across her chest. “Did you meet any daemons while you were out in the wild?”

“What? No, of course not,” Iris said, genuinely surprised by the question. “Why would you ask that?”

“It seems that while most of the daemons disappeared with the Dawn and no new ones have spawned, there were some which slunk into basements and caves deep down where the sun can’t reach. They come out at night and cause all kinds of trouble, and if you go looking in any caves then you want a good team with you. Of course they vanish when the sun comes up, but it can be unnerving for people trying to rebuild their lives.”

“Of course,” Iris murmured. The news that daemons still lurked in the darkness was enough to haunt anybody.

“And that’s why it is so important that you don’t go running off on your own,” Aranea said, returning to her lecture. “You’re a good fighter but you need to learn to be more responsible. There are so many people here who care about you.”

“Iris!” A truck pulled into the forecourt and a voice called out to them from the driver’s window.

“Talcott?” Iris stared as the young hunter climbed out of the truck and ran over to them. Having grown up together then lived together in Cape Caem, Talcott Hester was the closest thing Iris had to a younger brother and it was still a surprise to see Talcott -who had been a beanpole of a boy- become the muscular young adult he was today. He wore his hunter’s outfit along with Cid’s old black Hammerhead baseball cap, a scarf from Iris around his neck and covering his dog tag.

“Iris,” Talcott beamed. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“How did you know I was here?” Iris asked.

“Cindy sent me a message- I’ve been looking all over for you. Cor and I were so worried about you.”

“See?” Aranea said smugly.

Iris huffed in annoyance but was saved having to say anything by the return of Cindy and Cid.

“How is she, Doctor?” Talcott asked.

“Hi Talcott! Let’s put it this way- the last time I MOT-ed your truck it was two pages long,” Cindy said, then to demonstrate she let the ream of A4 paper fall through her hand. The list trailed onto the floor and ran several metres long.

“That bad, huh?” Aranea said.

“The bodywork, wheels and suspension are a complete write off- you said you found her on a railway?” Cindy asked Aranea and she nodded. “What on earth were those boys doin’ with her?” Cindy sighed and continued. “She’ll need new wheels, new seats, and there was a nest of something long dead down in the foot-well. The engine needs a complete haul-over. And that’s for starters.”

“In any other case it would be a total bust, not worth scrappin’ for parts, but she’s family,” Cid said, and Cindy nodded.

“If you replace all of that would she still be the Regalia?” Iris asked.

“It doesn’t matter how much yer replace- she will always have the same spirit,” Cid replied. “I used to know a janitor who worked up the Citadel- he had this one broom he always used, said it was the best broom in Insomnia and nothing else would do the job. Well, he replaced the head then handle multiple times as it broke yet he still insisted it was the same broom that worked as well as the day he bought it. You’ll see what I mean when the old girl’s done.”

“But we’re gonna need a lot of parts,” Cindy said, biting her lip. “Some o’ what we need for the engine we have here, but the Regalia was built in Insomnia. The good news is -even though a lot was added custom for the King- her model was still in production when Insomnia fell. Talcott?”

“The good news is that the warehouse still stands,” said Talcott, who possessed greater knowledge of the layout of Lucis than anyone else in Eos. “The bad news is it’s in a part of Insomnia that hasn’t been cleared yet.”

“No time like the present,” Aranea said, turning and walking back towards her ship. “Tool up and let’s head out.”

Iris and Talcott both stammered in shock but quickly gathered themselves. By now they were used to Aranea’s brisk manner. Cindy reloaded her Gravisphere gun in addition to packing a pistol, Talcott grabbed his machete from the truck cabin, Iris set her sword in its sheath at her waist, and the four of them set out towards the capital.

The trip in the dropship was short (a mercy as there was nothing to do and no windows to look out of) during which time Talcott brought Iris up to speed on what was happening in Lestallum in her absence. Now that the world was safer and the power grids were being mended, people were starting to move out of the overcrowded city that had been one of the last safe havens and working to rebuild lives elsewhere.

“A lot of people moved back into Insomnia after the funeral, most likely they were relieved to have space to themselves,” Talcott reported. “The city centre has been cleared and reconstruction work is underway, and the main road into the city that runs up to the Citadel is clear, though the Citadel itself is empty, but the outer regions are still in ruin. There’s no telling what we might find when we get there.”

“No doubt there’s been an amount of looting going on,” Aranea added grimly.

“People seem like they’re being deterred by the threat of encountering wild beasts,” Talcott said.

“It’s not a permanent solution though,” Iris murmured. She caught Aranea looking at her out of the corner of her eye and quickly turned away.

Within the hour, the dropship descended and they stepped out into what once might have been a worker’s car park in front of the Regalia's factory. A few ruined cars still littered the spaces.

“Set up a parameter around the factory; the last thing we need is a surprise attack while we’re in there,” Aranea instructed her men, who quickly jumped to attention and took off around the outside of the concrete building.

The front doors into the reception area hung from their hinges.

“Of course, there’s no tellin’ what state the parts could be in,” Cindy murmured in a grim reminder.

The four of them made their way deeper into the factory, each turning on their torches as the hallways led into darkness.

“Look! There should be a generator room downstairs; you reckon it might still work?” Iris said, pointing to a sign on the wall, but all of them froze as a chittering laugh echoed out of the darkness to greet them.

“Daemons!” Cindy whispered.

Aranea moved her lance into attack position and said, “Sun’s down, guns out.”

Iris and Talcott drew their blades and Cindy pulled out her pistol as they edged their way down the route that the sign pointed them, and met their first opponent when a group of goblins rushed at them from a side room. They fought in the light of their torches, the flashes of light adding an amount of confusion to the battle. Iris plunged her sword into a goblin while shots from Cindy’s gun reverberated back to them, the bodies of the daemons melting into black miasma that dissipated into the air and then into nothingness.

“You say that no new daemons have been appearing; only those that were around before the Dawn?” Iris said to Aranea. She had not encountered goblins in some weeks and encountering them now shook her.

“You don’t reckon its possible for the Starscourge to return if daemons stay around for much longer, do you?” Cindy asked, understanding what Iris was talking about and likely fearing it herself.

“Let’s hope not,” Aranea said, her voice firm.

“Or else Prince Noctis sacrificing himself would have been for nothing,” Talcott added. They fell into an uneasy silence at his words and continued further into the factory. Another pack of goblins leapt out of the shadows as they came into the generator room yet they managed to quickly see off the weak creatures. They found the key card, got the generator working again and they were blinded as the florescent lights blinked into life.

“That ought to help flush out any daemons,” Iris said.

“Or alert them to our presence” Aranea countered. The group made their way back up to the main hallway and followed it until they came to the main factory floor. The large room was filled with machinery that had been left untouched for many years- car parts remained suspended on the assembly line, the shape instantly familiar to them.

“Looks like we hit the jackpot,” Cindy said, walking forward to get a better look at a door. As she moved she lowered her gun, and Iris noticed something shifting behind a large piece of machinery.

“Cindy, look out!” Iris yelled. Cindy jumped back, and just in time as a multitude of daemons swarmed the room.

“Let’s be done with them!” Aranea yelled, leaping high into the air and spearing a Flan, her feet barely touching the floor before she was in the air again. Cindy fired the Gravisphere gun and Iris and Talcott dashed forward, slashing with their blades at the trapped enemies.

“Here!” Talcott cried. He pressed a button set into the wall and with a heavy groan the windows set into the ceiling opened. Dust rained down on them and sunlight filtered in so that the daemons shrieked, quickly dissolving and their numbers were decimated until only a Ronin skulked in the shadows before them.

“Deal with it, Iris; it’s weak to one handed swords,” Aranea shouted, running back to them from across the room. Iris readied her sword in her hand, observing the Ronin for its movements. The katana was still sheathed, yet as it set its hand on the hilt Iris moved to parry it. Their blades clashed, the Ronin’s attack blocked, but Iris was to slow too deal a strong counter-attack leading her to dodge the Ronin’s next attack awkwardly. Talcott surged forward to block another strike and with its blade occupied Iris dealt a finishing blow to its chest.

Iris and Talcott breathed heavily with the strain from battle, setting their blades back into their sheaths.

“What was that?” Aranea demanded, stalking towards Iris.

“What?” Iris huffed. Aranea brought her lance down and Iris was too slow in drawing her sword to block it, the lance glancing off the cross-guard instead of the blade. Cindy yelped at Aranea's attack.

“You were moving far too slow during that fight,” Aranea said. “It wasn’t just that Ronin either- I saw the way you were fighting, like your sword lacked any strength behind it.”

“Fine! So what if I’ve been affected by Gladdy’s disappearance? Is that what you want to hear?” Iris knew Aranea’s words to be true, yet she stood her ground regardless.

“And yet you ran away into the wilderness,” Aranea said. “Thank you for confirming that you were in no fit state to be out there.”

Iris had no intention of informing them of her close encounter with the Coeurl as a result of her dulled fighting skills, instead turning the tables. “I might not have ran away if you had stuck around!”

“Not all of us have the luxury of time for complacency!” Aranea snapped back. Iris’s mouth fell slack- Aranea's earlier manner suddenly made sense; throwing herself into job after job and probably not allowing herself time to stop and reflect as far as Iris was concerned, that was confirmation if she had needed any that Aranea was not allowing herself to grieve over Ignis.

They fell silent until Aranea spoke again, her voice tense.

“We can get the dropship above this factory and lower in a cable through the skylights- save us going back and forth lifting parts.”

“Good idea,” Cindy said. The mechanic worked quickly, choosing what she would need from the factory floor. They set the parts onto a container so that when the dropship lowered cables down they could easily lift it up, and two hours later they were ready to go.

“Um, so where have you been these past weeks, Miss Aranea?” Talcott asked timidly once they were setting back to Hammerhead.

“Altissia.”

“Why were you in Altissia?” Iris asked, genuinely surprised and forgetting to be angry with Aranea.

“A number of people decided to move back there- those who were originally evacuated from Altissia, Gralea and Tenebrae. Now things have settled, the climate is more what they were used to,” Aranea explained. “There was a big restructuring project already going on before the Long Night fell, after so much was destroyed during the covenant with Leviathan, that they’re mostly picking up where they left off. Did you ever meet First Secretary Claustra?”

“Briefly,” Iris said, remembering the one time she had seen the woman speaking with Gladio and Ignis. Neither were particularly fond of Claustra after her involvement with splitting the bros up during their meeting with Leviathan, leading to Lunafreya’s death and Ignis becoming blind. As much as Iris respected Claustra there was no denying she was a formidable woman.

“She’s been spear-heading the rebuilding operations and asked my men and myself to secure the railway line and docks on the Niflheim mainland. There’s a lot of raw materials there that were abandoned when the daemons took over,” Aranea said, before fixing Iris with a fierce look. “That reminds me- she wants to meet with me and you.”

“Me?” Iris said, surprised. “Why would Claustra want to meet me?”

 


	3. The Summit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 4 months between posting chapters this time! By that logic the next chapter should be posted in about 3 months? :p
> 
> There was a lot I was hanging on seeing in Episode Ardyn and certain parts I have changed or adapted as a result, so I have a much clearer sense of where this fic is going so should be easier to get it written (she says!)
> 
> Thank you once again for your patience and continued support of this fic!

“Paw paw!” Cindy stamped her foot and set her hands firmly on her hips. “You’re clutchin’ the wrong end of the stick! There’s no way-”

“I’m tellin’ yer- you should go with them,” Cid repeated. They managed to unload the car parts into the workshop where they saw Cid had already got the Regalia up on the inspection rig and was busy taking the beloved car apart until all that remained was a skeleton of the parts which still had a hope of working. Cindy had been relaying to him that Iris and Aranea would be going overseas for a while when he made his suggestion for Cindy to join them. “It’s a beautiful city; when I last went there with them boys-”

“I’m can’t be leavin’ you to your own devices for however long I might be away for,” Cindy pouted. Iris and Aranea both hung back, reluctant to get involved with the argument.

“I’ll be fine. I see yer cooped up in the garage all day an’ I feel guilty tha’ this is yer whole life,” Cid sighed, not without a hint of dramatics.

“Don’t you try to guilt trip me, old man! Maybe I like bein’ cooped up here?” Cindy protested.

“When yer gonna get the chance to go to Altissia again? An’ with such speedy travel?” Cid asked.

“The dropship will get us there in under ten hours, and depending on how long the Summit takes we can have you back in under three days,” Aranea pointed out. Iris couldn’t help thinking for how brave Aranea was to wade into the middle of this argument as Cindy glared daggers at her.

“You think I don’ know what you’ll be up ter? You’ll be workin’ yourself into your grave while I’m away!” Cindy protested.

“Just bury me out back in a cardboard box; I won’t be wantin’ no state funeral or nothin’!” Cid laughed.

“Don’ you even joke!” Cindy said, her face falling as the hurt crossed it.

“I can keep an eye on Cid,” Takka said, speaking up from the door of the garage, ignoring how Cid huffed about not needing to be looked after. “I can take care of the chocobos too- we’ve been gettin’ on mighty fine.”

Cindy crossed her arms and was silent for a long moment, the room seemed to hold their breath with her, until she exploded. “Fine! Since you all seem so keen on gettin’ rid o’ me!” Cindy jabbed her finger into Takka’s chest. “You make sure he don’t work himself into the ground! And you’d better look after them chocobos, you hear me? I don’ want to be comin’ back and findin’ ‘Chocobo Burgers’ on the diner menu!”

Takka promised to all Cindy ordered of him, and within the hour they were packed (Iris having barely been there for a day and Cindy being grudgingly frugal with the machine weaponry she loaded into a case), the pair of them were hugging goodbye to Cid and Takka, and trudging back onto the dropship for an even longer flight overseas.

“Hey! You’re joining us too?” Iris cried in surprise as she noticed Talcott sat in one of the seats lining the walls, nearly as bulky as the two troopers on either side of him who both nodded to Iris.

“Yeah!” Talcott grinned broadly. “I figured- my grandfather always used to keep records for House Amicitia, so someone ought to be there to make those records now! Since this sounds like this Summit is going to be something pretty important-”

“Honestly!” Cindy huffed, cutting Talcott off as she dropped her bag on the floor with a loud _clang!_  “Ever since we got the Regalia back he’s been burnin’ energy like a Bomb in battle! He’ll work himself into his grave at this rate!”

“It’s not like Cid to sit still,” Iris pointed out.

“Remind you of another certain mechanic?” Aranea smirked as she moved to the front of the dropship to where the pilot sat. They all grabbed a seat and buckled in as the dropship lifted off and Iris felt her ears pop as they were lifted up into the skies. A minute later the pilot announced they were now flying level with clear skies and they were free to move about the cabin. A few troopers milled about, Cindy went up front to make enquiries about the engine, and Talcott shifted into the seat next to Iris.

“I’ve been wanting to ask Iris,” Talcott said, his voice quiet even over the low thrum of the engines. “How have you been doing?”

The question was loaded with meaning and Iris clasped her hands in her lap. “There are times when I wake up -especially in the middle of the night- and think it was all a dream, before I remember. Sometimes I think I feel a bit better, but most the time I can’t come to terms with it- or even bring myself to try to.”

“You’re talking about it, so hey, that seems to be a good start,” Talcott set his hand on Iris’s shoulder and she reached up to hold it. “Yeah, I get that too. After grandpa died all I could think about was how I could have done things differently and how it was my fault-”

“Jared’s death was not your fault!” Iris said firmly.

“And that’s what we’ve got to keep telling ourselves now. If you ever need to talk, I’m always here. Or on the other end of the phone.”

Iris nodded. Talcott’s solid resolve to stand up for what was right had always been his most endearing trait. “They died following their path, and now we’re left finding our place on ours. I’ve made a decision- I’m the last in the line of Amicitia, a sworn Shield with no King or Queen to defend, therefore I will be a Shield to the people of Lucis, to help aide those rebuilding their lives. That’s the best way I can honour my brother and father and everyone else who died these last ten years.”

Talcott beamed. “That sounds like a great plan!”

“I’ve also been wondering,” Iris continued. “Because Gladdy said he had a girlfriend but he never told me who she was, so I have no way of letting her know what happened to him and why he never made it back to her.”

“I never knew who she was either,” Talcott admitted. “Chances are she would have heard about it somewhere by now, given how news made it back to Lestallum of King Noctis’s death.”

“Yeah. I still can’t help but be curious who she was; she must have been pretty special and strong for my brother to want to settle down!”

“Maybe she works in the Power Plant?” Talcott suggested.

Iris hummed. “Would make sense. I should ask Holly when we get back.”

The journey passed arduously slow, each member mourning how they couldn’t even see the ocean due to the lack of windows (“You’ll be seeing plenty of water soon enough!” Aranea growled in return each time someone moaned), and Iris reckoned the last time she would have seen the ocean in all it’s glory would have been when she’d lived at Cape Caem with Talcott and Cor. The last ten years hadn’t exactly been beach weather.

Iris managed to catch up on several hours of sleep curled up across the chairs, though it was hardly comfortable she was grateful for the rest and the presence of light when she woke up helped her against the usual illusion that Dawn had not yet returned, until eventually they were on the final descent and when the hanger door opened they were bombarded with bright sunlight and the smell of the ocean.

“ _Woah!_ ” Iris’s jaw dropped as she raised her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding onslaught of light reflecting off of the multitude of white marble buildings from clear blue skies.

“We’re floating here; let’s shift it,” Aranea shouted. The three women and Talcott hurried down the ramp onto the wood and stone docks, the dropship closing its door and taking off again as soon as they were clear. The jetty was alive with people travelling to create a new life, many bringing with them tools and equipment as they unloaded from the boats, while more boats in the harbour were setting out to bring in the daily catch from the ocean. They were surrounded on all sides by cliffs and walls of water, the noise of waterfalls inescapable.

“It’s the same sun and blue skies that we have in Hammerhead, but it seems totally different here,” Cindy marvelled.

“Totally,” Talcott agreed.

“This way,” Aranea instructed, leading them along the jetty towards where Iris could see the city in the distance.

“The city looks so far along compared to how Lucis is,” Iris said. Most of the historic white marble and yellow stucco buildings that she could see looked pristine, while others were still surrounded by scaffolding.

“Large portions of the city were damaged during the covenant with Leviathan and the Empire invasion, so they were in the process of clearing the debris and beginning rebuilding when the Long Night fell anyway,” Aranea explained briskly. Now that Iris looked closer, she could see a lot of the buildings were in fact in a state of disrepair where large chunks had been blown from them, only gleaming from being recently cleaned and the debris moved elsewhere.

“I guess there’s still much missing and much still to be done,” Iris mused.

“No doubt the First Secretary will be wanting to discuss distribution of resources as part of this Summit,” Aranea said.

“Sounds boring; I think I’ll leave you to talk about that!” Iris yawned widely. She didn’t miss the annoyed look that Aranea shot her over her shoulder as they walked towards an immigration hut. Iris ignored the look, wondering once again why she had been invited to this Summit as she hardly possessed any political knowhow.

Aranea checked them in at immigration and they soon stepped through onto the streets of Altissia.

“Wow! We’re in a foreign country!” Cindy smiled. Talcott joined her in turning on the spot, taking in as much of the scenery as they could.

“You changed your tune soon enough!” Iris grinned and Cindy shrugged.

“This way,” Aranea said, leading them through the street market.

“Wait- are we going to this Summit now?” Iris asked, running to catch up to her mentor.

“No time like the present.”

Butterflies fluttered in Iris’s stomach as they walked. Altissia was a maze even with a lot of the paths blocked or destroyed, and more than once Aranea accidentally led them down a dead end (“In my defence, I’ve only been here twice!”) and the whole time all she could think of was _Did Gladio and the others walk down this way when they were here? Would Ignis have come up with a new recipe at that restaurant? This angle would be so great for Prompto to take a photo from. I bet if they went in a gondola Noct would have fallen asleep in it! Am I unknowingly following in their footsteps?_ Iris continued imagining how the four friends might have spent their time in Altissia to the point that she found herself thinking about it so hard it started to hurt in her heart again and she had to stop.

Finally, they arrived in front of a set of official looking gates where three uniformed guards stood sentry before a grand looking red stucco building.

“Lady Aranea Highwind and Iris Amicita here to see First Secretary Camelia Claustra,” Aranea said briskly to one of the guards who nodded and opened the gates to them.

“ _Lady_ Aranea?” Cindy repeated.

Aranea just shrugged. “An official title I own. It sometimes helps with getting quicker entry to places.”

They were led through the embassy to a fancy room decorated with elegant chaise longs and paintings of historical figures, where the guard then left them. Aranea stood in the corner while Iris, Cindy and Talcott dropped their bags and roamed around, looking at the paintings, until Iris wagered about ten minutes had passed.

“How long are we gonna have to wait?” Iris asked.

“I thought it was the Secretary who invited ya, we’ve just bin left here,” Cindy agreed.

“You’re too new to politics; It’s all part of the political act to keep your guests waiting with all your wealth on view,” Aranea explained, her arms folded though her scowl betrayed how bored she was too. “Apparently both King Regis and Emperor Aldercapt were infamous for it.”

“Political act or not, not comin’ out to greet guests is just plain rude!” Cindy countered, dropping heavily onto a chaise.

“Maybe you should refer to yourself as Lady Aranea again?” Iris teased.

“Gaining Claustra’s trust and cooperation will be key to ensuring relations between the three nations remain amiable,” Aranea huffed.

“Wasn’t Claustra the lady who Noct spoke to when he came here?” Iris asked, and Aranea nodded stiffly. “What happened then? Gladdy never spoke of the meeting, only what he said happened after-”

“I can’t say I’m aware of the exact circumstances of what transpired at the negotiations, or what happened on the day of the covenant- reports from the Empire were highly biased, and... it was hardly ever spoken about by _them_ ,” Aranea replied tersely. “Iris... there is something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

“What is it, Ary?” Iris asked. She didn’t miss how Aranea had referred to their friends, or how this was a blatant change of subject but she let is pass.

“How much do you know about the lineage of your house?”

Iris frowned. “Plenty; House Amicitia have been Shields to the Kings of Lucis for as far back as the records go. What about it?”

Before Aranea could answer, the door they had entered through swung open and the guard that had shown them in summoned them to another room. Windows lined the left side of the wall with a view of the city, while behind a highly polished wood table and in front of a grand marble fireplace sat the woman who had been key to orchestrating much of Eos’s supplies during the past ten years- First Secretary of the Accordo Protectorate, Camelia Claustra.

Iris had never seen the woman much before to know how Claustra had changed over the ten years, only that her face was heavily lined with authority and her short neatly-styled hair was greyed with age. She wore an immaculate blue suit and Iris suddenly felt scruffy in her hunter gear.

“Thank you for coming,” Claustra said neutrally on seeing their group, her hands set on the armrests of the chair. Iris was immediately reminded of an old schoolmistress who once taught her; the woman had been indifferent and cold towards Iris’s plight against the school bullies. Claustra possessed that same steely glare that fixed Iris to the spot when it turned to her.

“Thank you for the invitation to meet us in person,” Aranea replied as Iris felt her throat dry up. Aranea guided Iris with a wave to sit in the seat on front of the table; with Claustra sat at the desk and her mentor behind her Iris felt even more like a schoolgirl for her parent-teacher conference.

“It was the least I could do for our countries’ sake,” Claustra said, her voice fair. “Might I enquire as to your company?”

“Cindy Aurum, mechanic of Hammerhead; Full Service Station,” Cindy said proudly.

“Talcott Hester; I’m here as a record keeper,” Talcott said, indicating his notebook and pen.

“A record keeper... I see,” Claustra said to Talcott, before turning her head to Cindy. “I have heard of Hammerhead- the famous last outpost that survived outside Lestallum. So many drivers owe you their lives for the daemon repelling headlights you installed.”

“I’m just doin’ my job,” Cindy said, waving the compliment away.

“And Iris Amicitia,” Claustra said, turned her attention to Iris. “I am sure you must have a great many questions.”

All Iris could think to ask was the question that had been burning around her head all day. “You met with Noctis and the guys here too, right?”

“Yes, right before the forging of the covenant. Prince Noctis was here to as to the terms of Altissia safeguarding the Oracle and controlling the fallout of Leviathan.”

“But that failed,” Iris said pointedly, causing the room to turn to her. “Well, Lunafreya died, right?”

“The terms agreed upon were with relation to the Empire; once the covenant was under way their fate was in their own hands,” Claustra responded, leaning forward to steeple her hands together, her elbows resting on the table. “The path they chose was... regrettable, though the will and anger of the gods is ignorant of all in its path. Nonetheless, Noctis proved that he was capable of negotiating in a manner befitting a king; it was interesting to speak with him, and I expect highly of you too.”

Claustra fixed Iris with her steely gaze and Iris couldn’t help but feel she’d taken a wrong step highlighting Lunafreya’s death. It was a view Gladio would often debate- had the First Secretary not separated the three Crownsguard members from Noct then they may have had a chance to save Lunafreya and prevent Ignis from being blinded. Ignis would protest that perhaps those events were always inevitable, but there was no way to know as he never spoke of the circumstances as to how he was injured.

“Altissia has come a long way in such a short time, given the hardships you’ve faced” Aranea said, sparing Iris from Claustra’s searching eyes.

“Had it not been for the provisions taken, the city and the people could have been in a far worse state,” Claustra said. “The Empire allowing the Covenant to take place was no doubt an indirect attack to weaken Altissia’s defence in the coming of the Long Night. If not, it would certainly have been advantageous to them were it not for the actions of the High Commander.”

“That was after I left the army,” Aranea said indifferently.

“And your ties to Niflheim were severed?” Claustra pressed.

“To the Army and Emperor Aldercapt, more like.”

“Hm.” Claustra pursed her lips as she regarded Aranea, each holding the other’s gaze. Eventually, Claustra set her hands back on the armrests. “Let’s not waste any more time. Since the Long Night ended, the lines in the land have become less defined. Altissia maintained its independence and relative political autonomy from the Empire under the Accordo Protectorate as our traditions were not compatible with Imperial rule, though I now ask for full autonomy over Accordo as a sovereign state, with the lands and waters afforded to them before the Empire invaded in M.E. 606.”

“Granted,” Aranea said briskly.

“Sounds fair to me,” Iris agreed.

“I am still keen to see maritime trade grow between our nations, and I look forward to discussing trade deals over the coming weeks. As for Lucis and Niflheim, as the two kingdoms had been at war for many years, the borders are less well defined. I take it your ridding the surviving daemons from the kingdom of Niflheim is a mark that you intend to takeover the mantle from Emperor Aldercapt?”

“That is correct,” Aranea nodded.

Iris’s jaw dropped. “So you’d be Empress Aranea?”

“Empress of a barren kingdom, but essentially yes,” Aranea said with a half-hearted wave of her hand.

“The lineage checks out well enough- though there are a number of possible successors along the Aldercapt line, none have been found that survived the Long Night,” Claustra informed them. “Regardless, I would advise a quick ceremony to make the succession official.”

“It will be done,” Aranea said, and Iris couldn’t help but notice how Aranea left the timing vague as to when any coronation would happen. Still, she would be friends with an Empress and damn if that wasn’t cool, though she bet it would be different to being friends with Prince Noct when they were young.

“Excellent,” Claustra said in a satisfied tone. “Then I shall leave it to you both to negotiate a peaceful division of land and resources.”

Iris looked up in confusion at the statement. “Wait, what does that have to do with me?”

Claustra frowned at Iris. “As the direct line of the Lucis Caelums was severed with the death of King Noctis, the regency falls to the next in line to the throne. King Regis had laid preparations for the throne to pass to the line of Scientia after his son’s death, but as Ignis Scientia is missing-presumed-dead the throne falls to the line of Amicitia with you as first in line to the throne. I assumed you were aware of this.”

Iris looked around wildly at Aranea who looked oddly pale, then at Talcott whose mouth hung open. Her mind raced with the shellshock.

“It seems I was wrong,” Claustra said, her expression turning grave. “I had my historians research into the matter and it is as I say- the line of Lucis Caelum has died out, and through a marriage some two hundred years ago there exists a link between House Amicitia and the royal lineage. It would be in the best interest of all to see a ruler rise to lead the kingdom of Lucis out of these dark times and I am keen that this matter be resolved before a worse option makes itself known. By right you are now _Iris Amicitia, Queen of Lucis_.”


	4. Daemons Of The Past

“How the hell did this happen?” Iris groaned into her pint.

After the Summit had wrapped up, the group retreated to a bar where Iris was still struggling to process everything that she had learned in the past two hours. She was the Queen of Lucis and somehow had to find a way to lead the country out of the chaos of the last few decades.

The four of them sat at the bar of a hidden restaurant, each with their beverage of choice in front of them. They had needed to take a gondola to get to this place but Iris had been in too much of a daze to notice how pretty the sunset made the canals and ancient building look- she was far too busy realising how she’d never stopped to think just how big Lucis was before.

“You’ve been told you’re the most important person in the country; sure, it sucks to be you,” Aranea said offhandedly.

“Aw come off it, Aranea; you gotta admit it’s a bit change,” Cindy said fairly, clapping Iris on the back.

“At least your country has a basic structure from Lestallum to start on and that you’re familiar with,” Aranea groaned. “Spare a thought for those Empresses having to start from scratch over here!”

“But I don’t know the first thing about ruling a country!” Iris exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “I don’t know about politics, or economics- don’t I need a council? Do I need a council? Should it just be a case of the people tell me what’s working and I help support that, and how do I support that? I don’t have any money!”

“Cool your engines!” Aranea laughed, the sound of it actually succeeding in making Iris pause. “You’re not too far off the right track there, you’re just getting carried away with yourself.”

“The events of the past decade are unprecedented,” Talcott pointed out. “There’s no steadfast method laid down for such a scenario as this.”

“And no comparison for how much I will mess it up,” Iris said, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “What if the people don’t even want me ruling them?”

“You were saying earlier about being a Shield to the People- surely this is just a different way of seeing that means to an end?” Talcott said. His reasoning was valid, Iris thought, but it certainly wasn’t how she planned on going about it. She had been thrust into this role (Claustra had been very clear that should Iris decide not to take the throne then it would only be a matter of time before some dominant party came forward and the results would be uncontrollable) with no regards for her personal choice on the matter.

“Astrals, was this how Noctis felt his whole life?” Iris choked out. The other three looked at her confused. “Sure, he was prepared to take over from King Regis, but his betrothal to Lady Lunafreya and then being destined to be the one to rid the world of the Starscourge, without any choice on the matter?”

Thinking about it from that perspective felt suffocating and inescapable, how Noctis had not been able to change the role that fate doled out to him. Hell, it felt bad enough for Iris now, but to imagine having that weight on her shoulders...

It felt crushing.

“Beggin’ your pardon,” the bartender said in a deep voice, and the four turned to him. He was a dapper, brown skinned gentleman with fast greying hair and a monocle fixed in his left eye. “But are you Cindy Aurum?” Cindy nodded. “And Iris Amicitia?”

“Yeah?” Iris said tentatively.

“The name’s Weskham; I knew Cid and Clarus back when we travelled with Regis.”

“You know Paw Paw?” Cindy asked.

“You knew my dad?” Iris gasped.

“Yeah, we travelled all over back in the day; we arrived here and I decided to set up shop, but o’ course Reggie and Clarus had a calling to fulfil and Cid went back to his workshop,” Weskham said, his deep voice wistful. “Why, I even managed to see old Cid again when he came over with those boys.”

“You mean Noct and my brother?” Iris asked.

“Anyone who’s anyone when you’re in Altissia stops for a drink and meal at Maagho,” Weskham said, smiling kindly.

“And there was me thinkin’ this place was a secret!” Cindy grinned.

“It was here they met with Camelia Claustra for the first time,” Weskham added.

“Yeah, they didn’t get on with her either,” Iris muttered.

“You’ll do just fine. Camelia has a soft spot for the young and tragic, and I reckon you fit that bill,” Weskham said.

“Gee, thanks,” Iris grimaced.

“Not to be listening in to your predicament, but if you ask it of Camelia, I’m sure she would be happy to help you, give you advice on how to build your government.”

“She was so intimidating!” Iris cried. “How am I supposed to work with her?”

“Didn’t you find me intimidating once? I seem to remember you got past that,” Aranea smirked. “As far as asking for Claustra’s help goes, there’s wisdom in that though you shouldn’t be seen to be depending too much on the guidance of other nations; it can make you look weak.”

“What should I do then? I’m not a leader,” Iris asked.

Aranea considered her for a long moment before saying “Listen, I can’t tell you how to run your country, but if you want you can come with me for a short time while I get the remnants of the scourge out of Niflheim to see how I lead my army. It will be different from how you interact with your people, but it’ll give you an idea of leadership and help bolster your confidence.”

It sounded like a lot of daemon hunting, but right at that moment it was exactly what Iris needed. She downed her pint and said, “I can go with that- you’re on!”

*

“I’ve become far too used to havin’ showers again!” Cindy groaned. Iris dropped to the ground next to her, her sword clanging on the stone floor.

“Cor wasn’t this much of a slave driver!” Iris moaned, her voice low to avoid it echoing too far in the cave- she was acutely aware Aranea and Talcott were only a little further down the tunnel. Iris unscrewed her water bottle and drank deeply before offering it to Cindy who accepted it with a word of thanks.

The group of four had been clearing out daemon-infested caves in Niflheim for the past week; their battles against daemons in the tight cramped tunnels taking place by torchlight. It was always a relief to reach the end so they could finally head back out into the sunlight.

“Was Aranea this bad when you were trainin’ under her before?” Cindy asked, drinking deeply.

“Yep, although she seems to have found a new flair for it!” Iris said. “These daemon infested caves are all beginning to feel samey.”

“Nah, I think this one is deeper!” Cindy sighed. “What I wouldn’t give to feel the sun on my face! It seems like recently ev’ry time I feel like soakin’ in the sun I get these chills all over, as if the cold night got right down inter my bones, you know? Bein’ down here only makes it worse.”

Iris nodded and shifted closer so Cindy could steal some of her heat.

“I know it’s important to yer to learn how ter rule a kingdom,” Cindy said quietly. “Bu’ after this is over do yer think we could consider headin’ on back to Lucis? I’m beginnin’ to miss the garage and Paw Paw, want ter make sure he’s OK.”

Iris bit her lip. While she had gained some decent counselling from Aranea in the past week with regards to how to lay the foundations as Queen, she had the feeling that most of her actions would be in reaction to the needs of her people, which she would only know by returning to Lucis.

She had run away from her issues for long enough. The time was fast approaching where she needed to step up.

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” Iris said. “I’ll talk to Ary, see if we can get a lift back home.”

Cindy beamed as she stretched her legs. “I reckon I can put up with one more dungeon with a promise like that on the horizon!”

“Speak for yourself,” Iris mumbled, as Aranea’s voice echoed back to them.

“Get moving you two, or we’ll leave you behind!”

“We’re coming!” Iris called back, standing up and offering her hand to Cindy to help her up, speaking quietly again lest Aranea hear them. “Do you notice how Aranea keeps pushing us from one job to the next? It’s been one dungeon after another this last week.”

“I did wonder,” Cindy murmured, her voice downcast. “Has she ever stopped and allowed herself to grieve over them? I know she was fond of Prompto.”

“She used to spar with Gladio,” Iris agreed.

“And o’ course Ignis... I wonder-”

Whatever Cindy was about to say was lost as Talcott emerged from around a corner, breathing heavily.

“Come on! We’ve found a haven we can camp at for the night!” He declared.

“Oh thank the Astrals!” Cindy groaned. Both women picked up the pace with the promise of a real respite.

The path onwards sloped down sharply, and the tell-tale luminescent blue light met them at the end. The cavern was about as big as a room at the Leville, though the stone floor would be far less comfortable for sleeping and another tunnel loomed dark opposite where they entered which would no doubt lead them deeper. All around on the walls the ancient runes cast their protective magic, and in the middle Aranea was already sat sharpening her lance.

“What the hell’s a haven doin’ down here?” Cindy asked, dropping her sleeping bag on the floor.

“The people who originally excavated this cave probably needed somewhere to sleep,” Talcott pointed out. It was a fair assumption, Iris thought, although why anybody would need to excavate this deep she didn’t understand.

Aranea gestured towards the circle of ancient stones by her feet. “Reckon you can get that going and get us some dinner?”

“Should be able to manage that,” Iris said.

“I can’t wait for Iris’s cooking!” Talcott grinned.

“Don’t set your expectations too high; I’ve not exactly got a whole pantry packed with me!” Iris replied. Each of them carried their own sleeping bag along with a few necessary cooking supplies such as saucepans, water and tins of food. While they couldn’t afford to be weighed down in battle, they also needed food.

“Didn’ them boys have that armiger they stored everythin’ in?” Cindy pointed out. “Doesn’ anyone here know any magic like that?”

“Not enough to rival the power of the Kings,” Aranea said.

“The power of the Kings was a magic all it’s own,” Talcott explained to response to Cindy’s confused look. “Bestowed on the House of the Founder King by the astral Bahamut and passed down the line of the Lucis Caelums, allowing them access to such powers as warping and the armiger.”

“It’s a story everyone who grows up in the citadel learns,” Iris said.

“Although with recent events it’s hard to tell how accurate history is anymore,” Talcott concluded. Iris nodded in agreement- she had accompanied Talcott and Ignis on a number of excavations of royal tombs, looking for any information that could help them in their plight against the Starscourge. It was then they realised the narrative of history was not adding up, and even now there existed so many anomalies. Without any reliable sources from the time it was a mystery that would remain unsolved.

Soon the ancient logs in the stone circle were piled with more tinder and set ablaze. They gathered around the campfire for warmth and Iris managed to cobble together a meal of tinned tuna in rice balls, instantly filling their stomachs. Taking the lead, Iris also took the first watch, not that they needed it at a haven, though some smaller creature might wander in. She almost wished there was something to fight, as sitting still while the others slept meant her mind had space to wander down its own dark path. When the time came to wake Aranea for the next watch, Iris hastily pushed away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks.

Aranea climbed to her feet with more grace than Iris flopped into her sleeping bag, and she couldn’t help but ponder Cindy’s words. Had Aranea allowed herself to mourn the passing of their friends? If the previous few hours had taught Iris anything it was that that the lonely night could be harsh and she wondered if Aranea might be affected the same. Cindy and Talcott both slept on -Cindy gently snoring- but Iris laid on her back, shut her eyes and evened out her breathing, listening intently.

Aranea shifted. Iris was unaware of how much time passed, but she was suddenly hit with the realisation of how personal it might be to eavesdrop on Aranea’s grief and she wondered if she should just go to sleep, but it was then she heard a small, choked “dammit!”

Iris dared to peek. Aranea sat with her lance clutched in one hand, her other hand clenched into a fist and pressed to her lips, her eyes screwed shut though not a single tear fell.

Before she could check herself, could think if it was the right thing to do in the moment, Iris asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Aranea’s eyes instantly flew open, fixing Iris with an angry glare.

“You should be sleeping,” Aranea growled.

“It would help if you talked about it,” Iris said kindly. Aranea’s glare softened slightly as her shoulders slumped.

“Maybe, but not right now,” Aranea said, her tone firm and she turned away to face off down the tunnel. Pouting at her failed attempt to get her friend to open up, Iris turned onto her side and was left staring at the glowing stone wall, wishing she had her Moogle plush to hug.

*

All too soon, Aranea was waking them up again, herself keen to press on into the cave and everyone keen to finish their business there so they could get out. They ate a hurried breakfast of cold rice balls before they ventured down the tunnel opposite where they had dropped down from.

All too soon a strange feeling set in- they must have been walking for an hour and hadn’t encountered a single daemon. Their footsteps grew more measured as with each turn they expected an ambush, though it never came.

Eventually, Aranea spoke up. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

“Where did all them daemons get to?” Cindy asked.

“If this was one of Noct’s video games, I’d be inclined to say we’re approaching the big boss,” Iris said.

“If something bigger scared them off, or was preying on them...” Aranea murmured.

“Then we could be the next meal,” Talcott finished.

“Woah!” Cindy gasped.

The tunnel walls widened, then quickly fell away as they entered a large cavern. The light of their torches illuminated stone pillars (once stalagmites and stalactites which had met each other half way to merge into one) which extended too far up for them to see where they ended, and opposite them some hundred metres away Iris spied a door set into the wall.

However, before they could do more than marvel at their surroundings, a dark shape shifting in the far corner caught her attention as it drew towards them.

“Bandersnatch!” Iris exclaimed.

The monster had strong legs and stubbly little arms; thirty metres long from head to tail, three times as tall as any of them with wickedly curved tusks and horns, the rest of its body covered in dark red glowing scales. It was a beast that Iris had fought before, one time alongside Noctis and the others whilst she had travelled with them.

“Now we know why nothing dared venture down here!” Talcott said.

They each drew up their weapons as the Bandersnatch rounded on them and growled, and they darted in different directions -Aranea jumped high into the air- as the monster charged at them. It kicked up dust from the floor as it moved, creating a fog in the beams from their torches.

“Anyone got a plan?” Talcott yelled from somewhere on the other side of the Bandersnatch.

“Aim for its back legs,” Iris shouted back, taking charge of the situation. “It’s weak to lances so Aranea-”

Iris dodged as the Bandersnatch lunged at her, her sword drawing across the monster’s side yet mostly clattering against scales and the monster’s tail hit a stalagmite, creating more debris and dust.

“You got it!” Aranea called back, forming the links in Iris’s plan and as she dropped from the ceiling her lance was driven into the back of the beast, driving it forward into the ground. Iris cleared out of the way as Cindy fired off a number of shots at its rear end. It toppled, making it vulnerable.

“Let’s have it!” Iris yelled. She and Talcott managed to get some good slashes on the blindside where the hide was thin, before it stood up and once again rounded on Iris. Parrying it was no easy feat, as Iris was driven back several metres and Aranea jumped back in to take up the slack.

The fight lasted several minutes longer, the Bandersnatch getting in some good slashes with its tusks and causing them all to reach for a potion at some point, until finally the Bandersnatch was on its side vulnerable and they were able to drive their advantage home. Aranea thrust her lance into its head while Iris slashed into the belly, causing it to give a last whine of anguish before collapsing to the floor.

“Alright!” Cindy cheered, though she was quickly coughing on the dust that the fallen beast kicked up.

“Great job taking command there,” Aranea said, clapping Iris on the shoulder and she felt a burst of pride. “Going for the back legs was a good strategy against something like this.”

“Hey, check this out!” Talcott called. He stood by the ornate door set into the wall. “Let’s see what treasure that beast was guarding.”

“Wait for us, Talcott,” Aranea sighed, setting her lance on her back even as Talcott began looking for a method to pry open the door.

“That’s so strange,” Iris said.

“What is?” Aranea asked.

“You see Bandersnatches back in Lucis,” Iris explained. “They’re not even daemons.”

“I was thinkin’ that too,” Cindy said, after gulping down her water. “Yer sometimes came across one back in Leide- rare, but not unusual. Best thing was ter avoid it and get the hunters out ter deal with it.”

“If a Bandersnatch was brought here from Lucis...” Aranea murmured.

“But why go ter that amount of effort?” Cindy asked.

“Whatever it’s guarding might be of Lucian origin too,” Iris said, beginning to put together the pieces that Aranea was laying out. “But what would be so important as to need an immortal watch-monster?”

“Unless,” Aranea growled. “This isn’t a regular cave; it’s a prison!”

“And we just killed the guard!” Iris gasped. “Talcott, wait!”

Looking over, they saw the door into the next room was already open, Talcott just inside, and they all rushed over.

“Look at this,” Talcott said, his voice filled with a wonder that was only present when he was dealing with historical stuff.

“What is it?” Aranea asked.

“Look at these marks,” Talcott said, pointing to the inside of the door. It was covered in long, thin gouges, some a centimetre deep and covering most of the door. Iris mind supplied the mental image of fingernails scratching into the stone over many years just to make that much of an indent and she shivered. “It’s as if whatever was in here was buried alive.”

“Great. We need to shut this door before-” Aranea started, but then stopped with a gasp. Iris followed her line of sight and jumped in shock as her torchlight fell on a person emerging from the depths of the room.

Tattered clothes hung from their thin body, spider-like fingers splayed on a stone slab filling the centre of the room (the shackles secured to the four corners long rusted away), and pale skin bearing the unmistakable black marks of the Starscourge stretched over a long, skeletal face beneath spiky, blonde hair. Their eyes shone a bright blue in the light of their torches.

Cindy screamed.

The person rushed at them and though Aranea raised her lance there was a clang as it glanced off of metal rings protecting the being- their appearance so familiar, though they continued to run past the group and up the corridor towards the entrance. The four of them stood, each trembling.

“That looked like-” Cindy whispered.

“ _Prompto_ ,” Iris finished.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite two months for this chapter from the last one, I am getting slowly better! (Now watch as the next chapter will probably take five months again I'm sorry!)  
> I hope people are still enjoying reading this, I'm still enjoying writing it!


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